Last weekend, I experienced a career and personal highlight: I had the honor of accepting an award from the Society of Hispanic Engineers (SHPE) in front of colleagues, friends and folks I consider my family.

I joined SHPE twelve years ago in college and you can see some of my involvement with this wonderful organization by checking out #EnthusiasticAboutSHPE and/or by reading my post: How To Be An Enthusiastic Leader!

My friend and colleague Justin nominated me for the SHPE Technical Achievement Recognition (STAR) Diversity Award. The Diversity Award is presented to a recipient who strives to ensure Hispanic advancement in job promotions, business development and community activities within an organization. The honoree supports and leads diversity and inclusion efforts in the workplace and champions diversity in the community.

I wanted to share my acceptance speech with you all in the hopes that my words can convey the extreme love and respect I have for SHPE and to hopefully inspire others to continue to open doors for others.

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If you’ve been following the blog for years, you will have known that eight years ago, I started a scholarship for SHPE UA (Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, University of Arizona chapter) to give students the opportunity to go to the SHPE National Convention.

I started this scholarship because when I was in college, I didn’t have the funds to attend a convention like this that would give me professional opportunities and the ability to attend life changing workshops. I was able to go to a convention my senior year because of a scholarship so I wanted to give back.

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If you are a reggaeton or Latin music fan, then Baja Beach Fest in Rosarito, Mexico needs to be on your bucket list!

I attended this last weekend and itwas incredible and it was an absolute dream come true to see one of my favorite artists perform! I bought Daddy Yankee’s album Barrio Fino when I was 12 years old and have been a reggaeton fan ever since.

Check out my tips for first time festival attendees below!

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I was just in Hawaii to celebrate a vow renewal but we also made sure to eat and drink so many delicious things! Waikiki has so many different restaurants and places to grab a beer or a cocktail depending on what you are in the mood for. Check out 13 of my favorite spots that you absolutely need to try the next time you are in Waikiki! Enjoy these restaurants organized by type and let me know if I need to add any to this list.

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I knew that Kauai would be a beautiful place to hike and explore but I was not aware that the food would be so incredible! From food truck to casual spot to a sit down restaurant, you’ll find a lot of great spots to add to your bucket list.

Check out seven spots (in alphabetical order) that you absolutely need to try the next time you are in Kauai.

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Happy new year my friends (yes I know I’m late) but it is officially 2022! These last few years haven’t been great for blogging, but I am hopeful that 2022 will be better. I skipped my tradition of writing down 12 bucket list items I’d like to focus on for the year because it didn’t feel right, but I’m back!

You can check out my past bucket lists for 2020, 2019, 2018, and 2017!

Just like in years prior, this blog post is multi-purpose, I want to share and inspire you all to set some goals for the New Year, and I also want to put this out into the Universe. I believe that once you say something out loud and/or write it down, the Universe will be on your side and help you accomplish whatever you set out to do. You can read more about that in 7 Reasons To Have A Bucket List.

But for now, let me know if you will be crossing off any similar items (maybe we can do them together)! These are in no particular order, enjoy!

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You may know that Napa Valley has incredible wine, but did you know that Napa Valley is home to a ton of award winning and Michelin star restaurants?! We were in Napa Valley for a week and there was still not enough time to try every restaurant in our list but literally every place we tried was incredible. Check out nine of my favorite restaurants in Napa Valley that you absolutely need to check out in the order in which we tried them! Stay tuned for my full Napa Valley Bucket List coming soon.

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If you’ve been around for a while, you’ll know that I am #EnthusiasticAboutRunning. I love to run for so many different reason. The short story is that I run because it helps me to slow down my chaotic life and allows me to not multitask (all I do when I run is run and listen to music/podcasts). If you want the longer, sappier story, check out My Running Journey: Why I Started And Why I Still Run.

Ever since I started running, I kept going back to the same few races every year. Three of my favorite races are The Phoenix Turkey Trot, The Scottsdale Half Marathon, and the Hot Chocolate 15k! And luckily, I’ve been able to become an ambassador for all three races (#HotChocolatier, #RacePlaceAmbassador)!

Check out more info on each race below and feel free to join me in being Enthusiastic About Running by signing up using my code (which will get you either a discount or a sweet piece of swag)!

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Now that folks are getting vaccinated and the world is slowly starting to open up, many of us are planning our first trip! I decided to go through my phone and share my favorite phone wallpaper images from around the world to inspire you to travel. Enjoy, let me know which is your favorite!

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Scottsdale, Arizona is a very popular tourist destination but it’s also a pretty popular place for locals especially when it comes to dining. My favorite part about Scottsdale dining is the variety of your options. You can go to an upscale restaurant or you can go to a more low key restaurant where the food really shines. Check out 12 of my favorite restaurants in Scottsdale listed in my most recent visits. This post is part of The Ultimate Scottsdale Bucket List series and has been a labor of love and includes places I’ve found on my own, via the Internet, and via friends!

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